U.S. private sector job increase smallest since September: ADP

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Private-sector hiring in the United States slowed again in April as companies added the fewest employees in seven months, the latest sign the economy is encountering a soft patch, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.

Businesses added 119,000 employees to their payrolls last month, according to the ADP National Employment Report, falling short of economists' expectations for a gain of 150,000 jobs. It was the smallest gain since last September.

March's private payrolls were revised down to an increase of 131,000 from the previously reported 158,000.